Understanding Yellow Fever Certificate Requirements

There have been questions about whether or not travellers need Yellow Fever vaccination and certificate before arriving in Zimbabwe, Zambia or South Africa. We have put together some information to help you understand where the disease is found, and which countries require visitors to have the Yellow Fever certificate.

Note: Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia and South
Africa are not considered Yellow Fever Risk Zones.

For some of these countries, YFV does not occur in all regions of the country, but it is still considered a high risk country. Therefore, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that people travelling to these countries get a Yellow Fever vaccination for prevention.

As for Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Africa...

When you are entering Zimbabwe, Zambia or South Africa, you will only need a Yellow Fever Certificate if you have
travelled or lived in any of the countries that are
considered high risk area (see list above and map below).
South Africa used to require visitors who had been to Zambia to provide the certificate, but since February 2015, this rule no longer applies. Read about it
here.

Click on the images to enlarge

Have You Been in Transit in a Yellow Fever Area?

If you have been or are going to be in transit in a YFV risk area for more than 12 hours (10 hours in some countries), you will need to get a
Yellow Fever certificate. For more country-specific requirements,
click here.

When Else Will You Need a Yellow Fever Certificate?

The countries listed below will require a traveller to carry a Yellow Fever certificate
only if they have travelled to or if they reside in any of the countries listed in the table above.

Afghanistan

Gambia

Niger

Albania

Ghana

Nigeria

Algeria

Grenada

North Korea

Angola

Guadeloupe

Oman

Anguilla

Guatemala

Pakistan

Antigua & Barbuda

Guinea

Papua New Guinea

Australia

Guinea Bissau

Paraguay

Bahamas

Guyana

Philippines

Bahrain

Honduras

Pitcairn Islands

Bangladesh

India

Reunion

Barbados

Indonesia

Rwanda

Belize

Iran

Samoa

Benin

Iraq

Sao Tome & Principe

Bhutan

Ivory Coast

Saudi Arabia

Bolivia

Jamaica

Senegal

Botswana

Jordan

Seychelles

Brunei Darussalam

Kenya

Sierra Leone

Burkina Faso

Kazakhstan

Singapore

Burma

Kosovo

Solomon Islands

Burundi

Kyrgyzstan

Somalia

Cambodia

Laos

South Africa

Cameroon

Lebanon

Sri Lanka

Cape Verde

Lesotho

St Helen

Central African Republic

Liberia

St Lucia

Chad

Libya

St Martin

China

Madagascar

St Vincent & The Grenadines

Congo

Malawi

Sudan

Costa Rica

Malaysia

Suriname

Curacao

Maldives

Swaziland

Djibouti

Mali

Syria

Dominica

Malta

Tanzania

DRC

Martinique

Thailand

Easter Island

Mauritania

Timor-Lest

Ecuador

Mauritius

Togo

Egypt

Mayotte

Trinidad & Tobago

El Salvador

Mexico

Tunisia

Equatorial Guinea

Montserrat

Uganda

Eritrea

Mozambique

Vietnam

Ethiopia

Namibia

Yemen

Fiji

Nauru

Zambia

French Guyana

Nepal

Zimbabwe

French Polynesia

Netherlands Antilles

Gabon

New Caledonia

Generally, it is advisable to get vaccinated and obtain a valid Yellow Fever certificate at least 10 days before your travel if you are visiting or passing through a country where YFV occurs. The certificate is valid for
a lifetime. To learn about prevention of other mosquito-related diseases, visit our
malaria page.

Yellow Fever is a viral disease which occurs in most the tropical regions of Africa and the Americas. It is transmitted by the Aedes mosquitoes which thrive in these regions. To find out more about Yellow Fever, visit the World Health Organisation’s
page here.

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